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WWE Worlds Collide (2020)
This Saturday, the action begins on the Worlds Collide Pre-Show when Mia Yim battles NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray. A whole new chapter in the storied rivalry between Rhea Ripley and Toni Storm is about to be written as The Nightmare will collide with her rocking adversary for the NXT Women’s Championship at WWE Worlds Collide 2020. Among the epic past showdowns between the intense competitors, Ripley made history by emerging victorious over Storm in the finals of a tournament to be crowned the first-ever NXT UK Women’s Champion. Storm then regrouped and conquered Ripley in their rematch at the first NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool to seize the title in January of 2019. Ripley has since traveled across the pond to defeat the dominant Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Title. In the meantime, Storm returned to NXT UK after losing her title to Kay Lee Ray and battled "The Scary Queen of Scots" and Piper Niven in a Triple Threat Match for the championship at the TakeOver: Blackpool II event. Nevertheless, even as Storm prepared for that total free-for-all against two of her former best friends, her competitive nature brought her to Full Sail University in order to rekindle her rivalry with Ripley and boldly challenge the dangerous titleholder. Ripley accepted and the contest has been made. Who will reign supreme in the highly anticipated return matchup? Event recap Kay Lee Ray vs. Mia Yim In the battle between NXT and NXT UK, the British contingent of the black-and-gold brand landed the first blow, with NXT UK Champion Kay Lee Ray picking up a victory over Mia Yim on the Worlds Collide Pre-Show. Ray’s title wasn’t on the line in the cross-brand brawl, but she was forced to fight as though it was, eating boots and chops from NXT’s HBIC straight out of the gate. Superkicks, punches and Destroyers followed, but for all the punishment Ray’s 5’8” frame absorbed, however, she didn’t wilt. Instead, she excelled, going high-risk with a senton to the outside to stop Yim’s offense cold and standing toe to toe with Yim in a hockey fight. Ray’s co-opting of Yim’s Eat Defeat showed she was out to maximize bragging rights in this one, but the way she actually won — by reversing an O’Connor roll and grabbing a handful of Yim’s jeans — left something to be desired in terms of fairness. That said, you can’t argue with the results. Toni Storm vs. Rhea Ripley Watching a Superstar come into their own in real time is a rare, thrilling experience. Every little thing seems to go right, every opponent falls down the stretch and every late-breaking adjustment seems to be impeccably timed, thought out and executed. It’s a state of near-invincibility, and Rhea Ripley is in it, adding to her streak by retaining the NXT Championship against NXT UK’s Toni Storm at Worlds Collide. For Ripley’s momentum, this was no given. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that Storm has had the champ’s number in the past, and emphatically had it during an aggressive opening stint at Worlds Collide. But it’s quickly becoming clear that this version of Ripley is simply a different beast from the one who lost the NXT UK Championship to Storm last year; The Nightmare refused to stay down, and crucially dodged a top-rope splash that was Storm’s go-big-or-go-home move in the deciding moments. Ripley pounced with the Riptide seconds later for the win, and as close as the match was, it says quite a bit that the result somehow never seemed to be in doubt. Storm’s a champion in every sense of the word, but Ripley simply cannot lose at this moment, and it’s incumbent on Superstars like Storm, and in a few weeks, Bianca Belair, to rise to her level. Thus far, that’s proving easier said than done. Match results * Singles match: NXT UK Women's Champion Kay Lee Ray defeated Mia Yim (9:11) * Singles match for the NXT Women's Championship: NXT Women's Champion Rhea Ripley defeated Toni Storm (10:08) Category:WWE Worlds Collide Category:Bianca Belair Category:Cathy Kelley Category:Dakota Kai Category:Kay Lee Ray Category:Mercedes Martinez Category:Mia Yim Category:Rhea Ripley Category:Tegan Nox Category:Toni Storm Category:Women's matches in WWE Category:NXT Women's Championship matches Category:Toni Storm vs. Rhea Ripley rivalry Category:Tegan Nox vs. Dakota Kai rivalry Category:Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair rivalry Category:2020 pay-per-view events